Crawdads fall short in bid for first-half title

The Hickory Crawdads ultimately failed to win a first-half title in the Single-A Carolina League’s South Division, as the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs clinched the first-half championship with a victory over the Wilson Warbirds on Tuesday.

The second half of the Minor League Baseball season was set to begin on Friday when the Crawdads (34-29) hosted the Columbia (S.C.) Fireflies, with the teams having also played late Thursday before meeting again tonight (Saturday, June 20) at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium.

Hickory will then remain at L.P. Frans for six more games after wrapping up their current six-game series with the Fireflies, with the defending Carolina League champion Hill City (Va.) Howlers coming to town June 23-28.

Here’s how the Crawdads fared in games played between June 11-17, including the final four games of a six-game series at Charleston to end last week …

THURSDAY, JUNE 11

Charleston 9, Hickory 3

The RiverDogs pounded out 13 hits in a six-run win over the Crawdads, who managed just one extra-base hit on a double from Braylin Morel.

Morel also had an RBI single, while Paulino Santana (two singles, run) and Marco Argudin (two singles) added two hits apiece to go with a single, an RBI, and a run scored from Angel Arredondo.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

Charleston 2, Hickory 1

The Crawdads lost to the RiverDogs for the fourth straight day in a game that Hickory tied at 1-all in the top of the ninth inning before a single from Charleston’s Ricardo Gonzalez scored Nicandro Aybar with the game-winning run in the bottom half.

Yolfran Castillo singled and scored Hickory’s lone run, while Arredondo registered a double, Santana had a single, and starting pitcher Aidan Deakins provided the visitors with five innings of one-run, one-hit ball with six strikeouts and two walks en route to earning a no-decision.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

Hickory 6, Charleston 0

After throwing a combined no-hitter the previous Saturday, the Crawdads won via shutout again last Saturday, outhitting the RiverDogs 11-5 in the process.

Arredondo (triple, two singles, two RBIs, run), Argudin (triple, single, RBI, two runs, SB), Santana (two singles, run, SB), and Daniel Flames (double, single) all had multiple hits for Hickory, while Morel had a single and two RBIs, Deward Tovar also recorded a single, and Castillo walked three times, scored twice, and stole a base.

On the mound, the Crawdads’ JD McReynolds (2-2) notched the win thanks to 1 2/3 innings of one-hit relief during which he had a strikeout and two walks. Furthermore, Jormy Nivar (3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 K) collected his second save of the season.

SUNDAY, JUNE 14

Hickory 10, Charleston 6

Despite being outhit 11-8, the Crawdads made it back-to-back wins over their division rivals as they scored five of the game’s final six runs.

Arredondo (triple, single, three RBIs, two runs) enjoyed another multi-hit performance to lead Hickory’s offensive attack, while Flames (double, single, two RBIs, run) and Luis Marquez (two singles, two RBIs) also had two hits each to go with one hit apiece from Cal Stark (single, RBI) and Castillo (single, three runs, SB).

Reliever Luimy Munoz (2 IP, 2 H, 2 K) picked up the win to move to 2-0 this year, while Geury Rodriguez struck out the only two batters he faced to earn his second save.

TUESDAY, JUNE 16

Columbia 7, Hickory 3

The Fireflies trailed 3-1 through four innings before rallying past the Crawdads with two runs in the top of the fifth, three in the eighth, and one in the ninth.

Marcos Torres (solo home run, single, SB) and Argudin (two singles, run) had two hits each for Hickory, with Santana adding a two-run homer and Tovar notching a single.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

Hickory 9, Columbia 5

It was the Crawdads’ turn to rally in the second game against the Fireflies, as they were down 4-2 through four innings before scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth, four in the seventh, and one in the eighth on their way to a four-run triumph.

Arredondo had three singles, an RBI, and a run scored to pace Hickory once again, while Curley Martha (double, single, RBI, two runs, SB), Morel (double, single, RBI), and Torres (two doubles, two runs, SB) added two hits apiece to go with one each from Santana (three-run homer, two runs), Jhocsuanth Vargas (single, two RBIs, run), and Argudin (single, run).

Five pitchers were used by Hickory, with Wily Villar (3-2) notching the win following an inning of scoreless, hitless relief during which he pitched around a walk.